A CRITICAL STUDY OF DANDIN in the Dasakumaracarita and the Avantisundarikatha (as repre- sented by its summary) dealing with the same situations and describing the same incidents. From a comparative study of the two, we know that the later part of the story of Rajavahana, the whole account of Apahäravarman and the earlier part of the story of Upahäravarman concur in both the works, namely, Dasakumaracarita (pp. 54 - 108) and the Avantisundarikatha as represented by its summary (VII. 79; to VIII. 125). Now a close examination of the relevant part of the Dasakumaracarita and the corresponding portion of the summary of the Avantisundarikatha reveals striking points of affinity between the two in point not only of matter, but also of diction, a considerable number of idioms and phrases, evidently peculiar to Dandin's diction, occurring in almost identical form in both of them. These points of similarity, which may not be dismissed as being merely accidental, can be explained only when we presume that the Kathasara retained, while summarising the story, a large number of idioms and phrases of the original constituting the writer's diction in the Avantisundarikatha which in turn must be presumed to have borne intimate affinity to the Daśakumaracarita. The point of affinity which strikes us the most appertains to the description of the duties and functions of a courtesan's mother in grooming her daughter right from her childhood; and one cannot fail to discern herein the common mind at work. Again, the citation of the following verse from the Avantisundarikatha (lost portion) in the Kathāsāra (which cites verbatim the sporadic verses of the original, as we have seen above) is significant : त्वाम् श्रयम् आबद्धाञ्जलि दासजनस्तम् इमम् अर्थम् अर्थयते । स्वपिहि मया सह सुरतव्यतिकरखिन्नैवम् एव त्वम् ।।' The fact that the verse occurs in the same context in the Dasakumaracarita (at page 99 which does not get representation in the extant Avantisundarikatha, but is happily represented in the verse summary), though with a slightly different reading," 1. ASKS VIII. 98 2. DKC p. 99 has ofert
